Portrait of a Hillbilly Boy by Eric Creech

I dance in the spirit and in the honkytonk
And various points in between
I’m a mountain boy who speaks with
a lazy voice and sharp mind

My father was coal dusted and bent from the mines
But he saw that I had a degree
He taught me to hold a jack rock as easy as a cellphone
And I can use them both if I have to

I am a son of the hills and I dwell among the kudzu
But I have been to the beach and seen the sea
I am many things all at once and you need to understand
I am many things and none of them dumb

I have no need of an elegy that relegates me
I am not a caricature or an effigy of used to be
I am a child of the mountains and I will persevere
I will tilt my chin and I will persevere

Eric Creech lives in Kentucky with his wife and daughter and two dogs. He spends his days working in mental health and his down time hiking. Eric has a degree in Human Services and Counseling from Lindsy Wilson College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work.

Featured image credit: Jonathan Borba, Unsplash